Jaguars runningback focusing on winning

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Maurice Jones-Drew insists he has one thing in mind for the final four games of the season: winning.

The franchise running back has been the lone bright spot in a dismal year for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the league’s worst offense.

Jones-Drew leads the NFL with 1,137 yards rushing and has accounted for 46.9 percent of Jacksonville’s offense, the most in the league. His numbers are even more impressive considering the Jaguars (3-9) have had little go right this season. Given all the turmoil — a coaching change, mounting injuries and quarterback chaos — it might make sense that Jones-Drew would want to win the rushing title for teammates and morale.

Not totally.

“Hopefully I can get it and we win the next four,” Jones-Drew said. “That’d be awesome, that’d be ideal. If it comes along with the wins, I’d be happy. I’d love to win the thing — with the four wins. If we don’t win the games, I couldn’t care less about the rushing title.”

His chase begins today against Tampa Bay (4-8), a favorable matchup since the Buccaneers rank 29th in the league against the run. Tampa Bay has allowed 169 yards rushing a game during its six-game losing streak, giving up big chunks to Carolina, Tennessee, Houston, New Orleans and Chicago.

“In this game, if you don’t stop the run, you put yourself in a tough position to win,” Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said. “As a defense, you always want to be able to pin your ears back and get after the quarterback. But we haven’t been stopping the run well enough to do that.”

Barber laughed when reminded of today’s challenge against Jones-Drew.

“Yeah, that’s always fun,” Barber said. “We all know what Maurice can do. We’ve seen him play. Everybody is a fan of his, love the way he plays the game. If we expect to come out of Jacksonville with a win, and we need one sorely, we’ve got to stop the run.”

Mr. Consistency

Jones-Drew has gained at least 84 yards on the ground in 11 of Jacksonville’s 12 games. He’s been solid against everyone, including several of the NFL’s top defenses.

“Eight-man fronts, nine-man fronts, whatever it is, he steps up to the challenge each and every time,” Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker said. “I don’t know what more you can say about him. He’s one of those guys that any team would like to have.”

Jones-Drew ran for 1,324 yards in 14 games last season — all while dealing with torn meniscus in his right knee. He sat out the final two games after Jacksonville was essentially eliminated from the playoffs, had surgery in January and spent the next six months working his way back to 100 percent.

Speculation about his health persisted as the Jaguars limited his touches in training camp and the preseason. He hated hearing questions about whether he would be ready for the opener or how long he would hold up at arguably the most taxing position in football.

He has silenced all that talk these days. Instead, everything has turned to the rushing title.

“I know you probably think I’m bull-jiving you, but I couldn’t care less about this rushing title,” he said. “I want to win. People remember winners. Tell me who was the rushing leader in ‘93. Does anyone know? ... You don’t know, but you know who won the Super Bowl in ‘93, right?

“Exactly, so that’s what people remember. They remember winners, and that’s what you want your legacy to be.”

Still, teammates insist MJD’s competitive nature — he wears No. 32 because every team in the league passed over him during the 2006 NFL draft — will push him to want the rushing title.

“Everybody on this team, especially us as offensive linemen, wants to get him that rushing title,” guard Uche Nwaneri said.